Pretoria: Fourteen people have appeared in court on allegations of fraud and money laundering, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) said on Wednesday. The accused, including two former Nedbank employees, were arrested in Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni by the Gauteng Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit.

According to South African Government News Agency, the 14 individuals, aged between 25 and 51, face charges related to unlawful payments made from suspense accounts valued at over R157 million. These funds were allegedly transferred to recipients not entitled to them, involving amounts ranging from R50,000 to R20 million. The case involves 23 recipients, including 15 individuals, seven entities, and six banks.

The accused made their first court appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Thirteen of the accused were granted bail, while the bail application for the 10th accused, Yu-Wei Fang, is scheduled
for 7 November 2024. The remaining accused are set to reappear in court on 29 January 2025.

Lieutenant General (Dr/Adv) Godfrey Lebeya, the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, praised the investigation team’s efforts. He emphasized the complexity of the case, highlighting it as a significant example of professional money laundering. Investigations are ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Hawks reported that three suspects are expected to appear in court following the murder of an unidentified man in Boksburg. The suspects were arrested during a coordinated operation led by the Hawks Tactical Operations Management Section and other law enforcement agencies. The operation led to the recovery of weapons suspected to have been used in the murder.

Investigations into both cases continue as authorities work to uncover further details and bring those responsible to justice.